Annealing-furnace



(No- Mm1e1.)" 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. A. GOWLES 80 J. F. GILPIN.

ANNEALING PUR'NAGB.

No. 479,115. Patented July 19, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2. A. A. COWLES 8v J. I. GILPIN.

ANNEALING FURNACE.

Patented July 19, 189 2.

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UN TED STATES PATENT @EPrcE,

ALFRED A. COWLES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AND JOSEPH F. GILPIN, OF ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS To THE ANSONIA BRASS AND COPPER COMPANY, OE ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT.

ANNEALlNG-FURNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,115, dated July 19, 1892. Application filed November 9, 1891- Serial No. 411,287. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that we, ALFRED A. COWLES, of the city and State of New York, and JOSEPH F. GILPIN, of Ansonia, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Annealing-Furnaces for Annealing Brass and other Metals, of which the following is a specification.

In the construction of annealing-furnaces it has been usual to apply the fire at each side of the heating-chamber, the products of combustion passing lengthwise through such chamber, and the insertion of the goods to be annealed and their removal has involved considerable labor and expense, and difficulty has arisen in properly proportioning the heat, so that the annealing operations will be performed to the desired extent upon the goods introduced into the chamber.

Our invention is made for regulating the action of the heat and for moving the pans containing the articles to be annealed through the chamber, so as to expose such articles to the action of the heat for the required length of time and, for protecting the chains made use of from injury by the heat of the annealing-chamloer.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan with the crown or arches of the heating-chamber and the fire-chambers removed and the walls in section at the line X X, Fig.3. Fig. 2 is a vertical section at the line Y Y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section at the line Z Z,'Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a cross-section, in larger size, Ofthe tubular chainway.

The heating-chamber is long and hasa floor A, side walls B B, and an arch or crown G, and at the ends thereof there are doors D D',preferably hinged at their upper edges and provided with chains 2 to the levers E, by which such doors may be opened for the insertion or removal of the articles to be annealed. Below the floor A is an arch F, supported by the side wall above the open chamber G, and at one side of the heating-chamber there are the fire chambers H H, provided with grate-bars and fuel-doors I of any ordinary construction, and the rear ends of the fire-chambers are connected by the flues 3 to the heating chamber, such fines passing through the side wall B, and in the other side wall B there are fine Openings 4, leading to a longitudinal chamber or fine K, in the bottom of which are openings 5, passing down into the flue L, which leads to the chimney of any desired charactexgwhich may be located at There are by preference five fiues 4: in the side wall B, located at equal distances apart, and they are provided with dampers, so that the products of combustion as they pass through the heating-chamber may be directed from either one or both fires to one or more of the fines 4. Hence the heat of the heating-chamber can be regulated with facility and it maybe uniform,or nearly so, throughout, or any one part maybe heated to ahigher temperature than another, according to the requirements of the articles Or' goods that are being annealed in the heating-chamber, and the products of combustion passing downwardly as they leave the heating-chamber causes a proper detention of the heat in such heating-chamber to insure its action upon the materials being annealed.

It is to be understood that this annealingfurnace is constructed of brickwork lined with fire-bricks in those portions that are exposed to ahigh temperature and that tie-rods and stay-bars are employed, as usual, for supporting the walls and arches.

To lessen the labor heretofore necessarily expended in introducing the articles to be annealed and in withdrawing the same from the heating-chamber, we make use of one, two, or moreendless chains N. We have shown two of such chains, and they are made of plate-links, provided at suitable distances apart with lugs 6, and these endless chains pass over guide-wheels O and around the driving-wheels P upon the cross-shaft Q, and there are supporting wheels or rOllsR in the open chamber G, and within the heatingchamber such chains pass below the floor, the lugs 6 projecting above the floor in order that such chains may be protected from injury by the heat; and with this object in View we provide in the floor A the tubular chainways S, which are preferably of iron, having alongitudinal channel-way considerably larger than the chain and with a longitudinal slot at the top of the channel-way, through which the lugs 6 project upwardly, and the flanges 7 are provided on the top and at each side of the chalnwa-y upon the level, or nearly so, of the floor of the heating-chamber, and the chains extend beyond the ends of the heating-chamber, as represented, and occupy inclined positions, so that the attendants can place the pan containing the goods or metallic articles to be annealed upon such chains ad acent to the door D and then open such door and pass the pan partially into theheattug-chamber, and then by actuating the drivlug-shaft Q and chain such pan and its contents will be drawninto the heating-chamber to whatever position may be desired in relation to the fires, and suchpan is moved along from time to time as the annealing progresses and as other pans are introduced, and it is finally drawn out at the opposite end of the heating-chamber, the door D being raised for that purpose, and such pan can then be lifted conveniently off the incline by the attendants. WVe remark that the tubular chainway being larger than the chain allows an air-space around such chain, and the air passes into the chainway and rises up through the slot in the top of such chainway, thereby keeping the chain comparatively cool and lessening injury that might otherwise result to the same from the heat of the chamber, and as an additional precaution the spaces beneath the flanges 7 may be left open, so that air may circulate through the same and tend to lessen the heat of the chainway and its flanges and reduce the temperature of the chain.

Que endless chain might be made use of in instances where the pan is constructed so as to be hooked atits forward edge or end to the chain, so as to be drawn along, but usually 1t 15 advantageous to employ two chains, as represented, with the lugs opposite to each other, so that the pans can be pushed along through the heating-chamber with a uniform ty of movement, and for largesized heating-chambers three chains may be made use of.

In consequence of the articles or materials to be annealed being supplied at one end of the heating-chamber and delivered at the other end the annealing operations can be carried on progressively and with as much rapidity as consistent with the proper heating of the articles under operation, and the labor necessarily employed in handling the materials is lessened and the risk of wear and injury to the heating-chambers almost entirely removed. The chains as they pass to the heating-chamber and at the end where they leave the same are supported in the inclined positions shown by any convenient devices. \Ve have represented cross bars or rollsT beneath such chains and about midway between the chain-wheels.

In the drawings two fire-chambers are represented. It is to be understood that three or more fire-chambers may be used, according to the size and requirements of the annealingfurnace.

In cases where the metal to be annealed is of such a character that it may be acted upon directly by the chains the pans may be dis pensed with and the connection between the pan and chain may be of any suitable character.

lVe claim as our invention- 1. The combination, with the heating-chamber in an annealing-furnace and chains for moving the articles to be annealed through the heating-chamber, of tubular chainways introduced into the floor below the bottom of the heating-chamber, such tubular chainways being slotted along the top for the lug or connection between the chain and pan or article to be moved through the heating-chamber and also forming an air-tube to keep the chain cool, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the heating-chamber in an annealing-furnace and chains for moving the articles to be annealed through the heating-chamber, of tubular chainways below the bottom of the heating-chamber, such tubular chainways having projecting flanges 7 and being slotted along the top for the lug or connection between the chain and pan or article to be moved through the heating-chamber and also forming an air-tube to keep the chain cool, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, in an annealing-furnace, of a heating-chamber and doors at the ends, fire-chambers at one side and dampers and flues at the other side opening downwardly into an escape flue, chains for moving the articles to be annealed progressively through the heating-chamber, and tubular chainways introduced below the floor of the heating-chamber and slotted along the top and forming air-tubes to keep the chain cool, substantially as specified.

Signed by us this 20th day of October, 1891.

ALFRED A. COWLES. JOSEPH F. GILPIN. Witnesses: I

HENRY 1L WILSON, WM. II. MATHEWS. 

